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Shan Liang POV
Eight years…
Sometimes it felt like the blink of an eye. Other times, when I looked back at all the footprints behind us—literal and metaphorical—it felt like several lifetimes had passed.
What once was just a green valley with a hopeful water source and a handful of marked stones was now bustling with humanity's heart, warmth, noise, struggle, and dreams.
Heartspring Settlement.
A name that began as a whisper had become a foundation stone of a rising civilization.
I stood atop the small ridge overlooking Heartspring and felt a familiar ache of pride swelling in my chest. Below me lay the town we built—no, the town humanity built.
Wooden houses lined the inner circle, each crafted with care. Wider stone-paved roads extended outward like guiding veins. Newly finished irrigation channels cut across farmland, shining silver under the morning sun.
Children ran barefoot across the communal square. Guards patrolled the perimeter, their movements disciplined. The hum of workshops blended with the chatter of markets, the splash of water wheels, and the rhythmic pounding of hammers striking metal.
Eight years ago, this was wilderness.
Eight years ago, we were simply a group of wanderers with dreams larger than our strength.
Now…
Heartspring was the most advanced settlement in all known lands.
A true town—stable, thriving, united.
"Liang'er," Xie E's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Council meeting in an hour."
He had changed so much. Taller, firmer, edging toward handsome in a rugged, dependable way. The boy who once shadowed me like a puppy was now a pillar of Heartspring—calm, strategic, threatening when needed.
And me?
I wasn't just a healer anymore.
I was something else. Something more.
The system panel shimmered faintly inside my mind.
[Host: Shan Liang]
[Tier: 7]
[Attributes: Life, Light, Holy, Water]
[Strength: Highest among humans]
[Role: Civilization Seedbearer]
[System Note: Host has reached the pinnacle of current human capability.]
Eight years of cultivating while healing, building, governing…
Tier Seven.
No human had ever stepped into this realm before.
My spiritual power now formed liquid-like waves inside my meridians, pulsing with gentle warmth. I understood healing on a level no human ever had. My senses expanded beyond physical limits—I could hear worms stirring beneath the soil, feel the faint breath of dying plants in distant fields, sense the heartbeat of an injured child before she even cried out.
Beside me, Xie E was the same.
Tier Seven.
The world's strongest guardian.
His aura, once fiery and impulsive, now carried sharp, controlled potency—like a blade hidden inside silk.
When he walked, lesser beasts fled before they even saw him.
Together?
We were a force no settlement could challenge.
Which… was necessary.
Because not everyone welcomed our rise.
Heartspring didn't grow in isolation. News spread. Rumors spread faster. Admiration blossomed in some, but hatred also rooted in others.
Eight years ago, one settlement had already shown us hostility.
Today, that hostility had become more organized.
Out of hunger?
Jealousy?
Fear?
Habit?
Perhaps all of them.
They called themselves Red Fang Settlement now—after eight years of accumulating manpower, taming beasts, and sharpening weapons. Their leader wasn't a good man. The system once described him as:
[Alignment: Chaotic Self-Interest]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
[Likely Outcome Without Intervention: Local Dominance via Slavery]
Heartspring's peaceful development made Red Fang uneasy.
When we built schools, they hoarded warriors.
When we grew farms, they raided for food.
When we taught children to read, they trained theirs to steal.
So, eventually, they came.
Two years ago, Red Fang sent a raiding party of fifty men—armed, bloodthirsty, confident.
They expected a weak healer…
They expected a quiet settlement…
They expected an easy victory…
What they found was silence.
And then Xie E stepped forward.
The battle ended in less than five minutes.
Xie E never even used his full strength. A wave of spiritual pressure sent half of them unconscious. The rest dropped their weapons and fled, terror splashed across their faces. None dared return.
Today, when our scouts reported movement near the forest, the people no longer panicked. They simply nodded respectfully toward where Xie E usually trained.
Strength didn't corrupt us.
Strength protected us.
Strength gave heartspring eight full years of peace.
The town was now governed by a Council of Seven—chosen through skill and contribution:
Agriculture Leader
Knowledge Keeper
Defense Captain
Logistics Overseer
Healing Division Head
Construction Commander
Cultural & Traditions Representative
My voice carried weight, but I refused to rule alone. True civilization belonged to many, not one.
Xie E served unofficially as Heartspring's Guardian, a title the people created on their own.
The first stone-walled building rose five years ago.
Children learned:
Numbers
Writing symbols
Farming
Basic medicine
Spirit energy breathing
Moral lessons ("Kindness, Courage, Community")
When I walked through the school courtyard, children bowed respectfully.
"Teacher Shan!"
Their bright faces made all the struggles worth it.
Here, dozens of apprentices learned healing techniques:
Herbal application
Spirit thread stitching
Purification breath
Holy resonance channeling
For the first time in history, healing knowledge was no longer a secret skill held by one person.
That was progress.
Recently, the system began behaving… differently.
Messages appeared more frequently:
[Host Progress: Civilization uplift exceeds projected trajectory.]
[Unlocking new modules…]
[Analyzing cultural cohesion…]
[Predicting future threats…]
[Syncing with secondary node: Xie E.]
It felt more alive.
More aware.
And sometimes…
It felt like it was watching the entire world, not just me.
Every year, we lit a bonfire to celebrate the founding of Heartspring. This year, it was enormous—nearly twenty feet high.
People gathered, singing, laughing, sharing food. Children danced in circles. Elders told stories of the early days when we only had hope, sweat, and a dream.
As flames illuminated faces around me, I felt tears prickling in my eyes.
"Heartspring has grown beautifully," I whispered.
Xie E stepped beside me. "Because of you."
"No," I said, shaking my head. "Because of us."
He didn't argue. Instead, he smiled softly—the rare, gentle kind he only showed me.
But peace was never permanent.
At sunset, just as the bonfire dimmed, the system chimed.
[Warning.]
[Multiple settlements observing Heartspring's growth.]
[Probability of alliances against Host: 32% and rising.]
[Host must continue strengthening Heartspring's foundation.]
[Recommended: Begin preparations for long-term stability, advanced cultivation techniques, and expanded defensive structures.]
I exhaled slowly.
Eight years ago, I was a girl wandering through scattered camps, healing strangers.
Now, I was watching the birth pains of civilization—and feeling the weight of an entire species on my shoulders.
Xie E sensed my tension and squeezed my hand.
"We'll face it together," he said.
I nodded.
"Together."
The night ended quietly. After the festival crowd dispersed, I walked alone to the cliffside overlooking Heartspring—my favorite place.
Eight years ago, there had been only grass.
Now there were lights…
Roads…
Fields…
Children…
Hope.
Eight years ago, I was chosen by a mysterious system.
Today, I finally understood why.
"We're still so small," I whispered to the stars, "but we're growing. Bit by bit… stone by stone… heart by heart."
Heartspring wasn't just a town.
It was humanity's first real step into the future.
And somewhere in the divine realm above, I felt a faint warmth—as if a distant god was smiling proudly.
The system chimed softly in my mind:
[Host.]
[The Age of Heartspring has begun.]
I smiled.
"Yes," I whispered. "Let it begin."
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